COMMERCE, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi soccer team went ahead on a late set piece goal from freshman
Cilia Leal to open its road conference swing with a 2-1 victory at Texas A&M-Commerce Friday night at Lion Soccer Field.
After an early Islanders' (5-2-4) goal from senior
Molly Arens was answered by an equalizer three minutes later by the Lions (3-7-3), it came down to the 77
th minute when Leal who headed it in off the corner kick for the game winner.
It marks A&M-Corpus Christi's second conference win in a row and first league road win under first year head coach
Daniel Clitnovici. The Islanders remain undefeated in SLC play after trying HCU 0-0 in the opener.
"I can't express my satisfaction enough to our group," said Clitnovici. "They showed up at a tough conference opponent and took the game to them. They followed the game plan, executed it, and deservingly won the game. Our staff is so proud of them."
Sophomore
Emmie Barton took a free kick at the 24
th minute and although Commerce seemingly cleared it out of a cluster near the goal, senior
Storm Harris was there to corral it before rolling it back to Arens who took the immediate strike to the top left corner for the 1-0 lead.
The celebration didn't last long as the Lions were able to draw the game up at 1-1 with a long free kick headed in near the goal in the 27
th minute and the teams headed to the break knotted.
Five taken corners by the Islanders in the second half alone finally paid off on the last attempt when senior
Morgan Westbury sent her shot to the box where Leal perfectly timed the header down in the left for the go-ahead score in the 77
th minute.
Commerce got two more shots off from there trying to net another tying goal, but senior goalkeeper
Zoe Theriot kept them at bay to secure her fifth win of the year. The Islanders outshot the Lions 19-16 and made more saves as Theriot picked up five compared to Commerce's goalie of one.
It marks Arens' seventh career goal and second of the year while Leal turned in her second-ever goal and first since in the season opener. Harris was credited her sixth career assist and second of the year, having recorded two assists in each of the last three seasons now. Westbury's assist on the game-winner marked her sixth ever and third this year alone.
Westbury is the third Islander to record a trio of assists so far this year. Arens and Leal become the sixth and seventh Islanders to have multiple goals on the year, and Harris becomes the seventh to have multiple assists.
It is the second straight win over the Lions after the Islanders also took last year's meeting in Commerce. The Islanders have now handed A&M-Commerce their first conference loss in both of the last two seasons.
"Tonight was an entertaining game, two good teams showed up and the intensity and quality was high. Our focus was putting them on the back foot and taking the game to them and we did just that. Not many teams come to Commerce and outshoot them with 19 shots, so from game objective standpoint, we are very satisfied as well," said Clitnovici.
With a week off, the Islanders will continue a three-game road swing to Lamar and SFA next weekend.
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